|
|
China ready to send warships to Somalia for escort mission, fleet commander (5)
|
ADEQUATE SUPPLY FOR MONTHS
Seamen of the fleet have been seen transporting pure water, beverages and food from the land base to the warships. All material storage was finished by Thursday evening.
Captain Xi Feijun of the Weishanhu told Xinhua that his ship had stored fuel, water and food to last several months for the fleet.
The ships' mess will provide self-service meals during the entire mission. It will offer dairy products, eggs, vegetables, fruit and other high caloric content food, Captain Long Juan told the Xinhua reporter aboard.
The Xinhua reporter also saw libraries, computer rooms and gymnasiums on the ships which have been prepared for the crew members in their leisure time.
The fleet will be the first overseas deployment for Chinese maritime forces since the 15th century. Previously, the People's Liberation Army Navy focused on coastline defense and limited operations abroad to goodwill visits and drills with other navies.
China's Foreign Ministry officially announced the deployment on Saturday, saying that China will observe UN resolutions and international laws in fulfilling its obligations.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said 1,265 Chinese commercial vessels had passed through the gulf so far this year and seven of them were attacked. One fishing ship and 18 crew members were still being held by pirates.
Xinhua writer Bai Ruixue contributed to the story.
Source: Xinhua
【1】 【2】 【3】 【4】 【5】
|
| Your Message: |
Most Popular Photos |
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article